Manager Lou Piniella said he kidded Zambrano last week about not having a hit yet.

"I don't know why there's a panic," Zambrano said. "Last year I started out 0-for-10 and wound up winning the Silver Slugger. There's no pressure at all."

Zambrano hit his 17th career home run and needed only a triple for the cycle, but Piniella already had left him in for 111 pitches and didn't want to over-do it. Would he have liked to have gone for it?

"Yeah, why not?" he said. "I think sometimes it's good to break some records and be in the history books."

Alfonso Soriano's three-run homer in the third began the Cubs' barrage, Mike Fontenot homered for the second straight day and Koyie Hill had three hits while subbing for Geovany Soto behind the plate.

Before the game, Bradley said he was anxious to get going after his rough start.

"Just play and just keep it under control," he said.

Keeping things under control has been a problem for Bradley over the years, which is why the Cubs appear to be risking so much in handing him a three-year deal.

But Bradley always has been able to hit, so an .042 average entering Tuesday night's game was something he wasn't used to dealing with.

"Not only do we need him in the lineup, we need him productively in the lineup," Piniella said. "He was our big acquisition over the winter.

"He had such a good spring, so we're hoping he gets hot with the bat and we can keep him out there on a consistent basis for a long period of time."

A 1-for-24 start, and the slow start of the Cubs offense, put Bradley under a microscope he somehow never anticipated.

It was the worst slump of his career.

"It's pretty remarkable, I keep getting out," he said. "I don't think I've ever had a stretch where I'm getting out so much.

"But that's baseball. You never really figure it out. Once you think you have, something kicks you again."

Hovering over Bradley is the two-game suspension he received for making contact April 15 with umpire Larry Vanover after being called out on strikes with the bases loaded in his first at-bat at Wrigley Field.

Piniella said he didn't even remember Bradley had received his suspension.

"Too many things have transpired in the interim," he said with a laugh. "I completely forgot about that incident. Did you need to remind me?"